


Envy the Green-Eyed Fox

by rivensilk



Series: rangshi/atla wlw week 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi, The Shadow of Kyoshi
Genre: F/F, Kisses, One Shot, Post-Canon, Rangshi Week 2020, a good healthy dose of jealousy followed by fluff, post-shadow of kyoshi fic (beware spoilers!)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26471647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivensilk/pseuds/rivensilk
Summary: The fox was lying on its stomach with its front legs sprawled over Rangi’s. She was rubbing its ears as she fed it berries, and she was saying something to it that Kyoshi couldn’t hear.The fox stretched up to gently pluck a berry from Rangi’s slender fingers and pointedly made eye contact with Kyoshi across the distance before lowering its head into Rangi’s lap. Rangi exclaimed and grabbed the fox around its torso to bring it up and kiss the top of its head, followed quickly by a peck on both cheeks, then finally, one last kiss on the nose.Kyoshi pursed her lips and stepped back to where they were out of her line of sight.
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Series: rangshi/atla wlw week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929493
Comments: 27
Kudos: 124





	Envy the Green-Eyed Fox

**Author's Note:**

> rangshi week 2020: kisses

“Have you named it yet?” Rangi leaned over as much as she could without tipping over on her crutch. 

Kyoshi’s hands shot out when the Firebender swayed perilously, but she willed herself to stop, clenched her fists, and drew back. “I haven’t.” 

Rangi was smiling down at the fox that had followed Kyoshi back from the fountain where she’d spoken with Yangchen. Dark circles ringed Rangi’s eyes, but the slight quirk tugging at the corners of her lips softened her face in a way that made Kyoshi’s breath catch. Rangi’s smiles were so rare these days, and Kyoshi only had herself to blame. 

Rangi’s face was lined with exhaustion, burdened first by everything that had happened with Yun and second by recovering from her near-death experience. Although several weeks had passed, Rangi still walked with a limp, so Kyoshi insisted that she continue to use the crutch, just in case.

Kyoshi had made a valiant effort to keep from doting otherwise. Rangi needed her space to heal, both physically and emotionally, so Kyoshi had been busying herself with sorting household affairs around the Avatar mansion instead of hovering like a protective turtle duck. 

Between organizing the remaining staff, repairing the damages to the estate, and trying to get back into Auntie Mui’s good graces, Kyoshi had honestly forgotten about the fox. But, clearly, it hadn’t forgotten about her. 

The animal gingerly brushed its head against Rangi’s outstretched hand as if it was gauging her reaction. Rangi made a soft crooning noise to coax it forward, and the fox shot a startlingly fierce glare toward Kyoshi before stepping forward to weave between Rangi’s legs.

Rangi gave a delighted laugh. Kyoshi’s heart fluttered at the sound, but she was taken aback by the fox. It looked like it was judging her reaction and seeing that she gave none, it dropped to lie across Rangi’s feet, curling its bushy tail around her ankle. 

“It’s cute,” Rangi said, affection already softening her voice.

“I don’t think that’s a normal fox.” Kyoshi wanted to frown at the creature but it was still staring at her. The piercing green of its eyes felt a little more human than animal and unnervingly intelligent. Kyoshi glanced down but quickly looked away.

“Maybe I’ll name it Kyoshi Junior,” Rangi said teasingly. “It has lovely green eyes, just like you.” Rangi flashed Kyoshi a playful grin that made her stomach swoop and any protest died on her lips. If the little furry thing could make Rangi happy, Kyoshi didn’t care what it was called. 

_It’ll be good for Rangi to have some company_ , Kyoshi thought as she watched Rangi limp over to the front steps that led up to the mansion. Rangi lowered herself with painful slowness and bravely kept a straight face, but Kyoshi could tell from the stiffness in her shoulders that she still hurt. 

The fox chirruped once Rangi was settled and launched into her lap. She gave a soft grunt as the impact jostled her, but Rangi didn’t shake it off. Instead, the fox draped itself over her legs, paws dangling down one side as it rested its head between Rangi’s knees. All the while watching Kyoshi closely with its sharp, glowing green eyes.

Kyoshi’s brows knit at the prickle of discomfort she got from seeing the fox ingratiate itself with Rangi. Rangi, however, didn’t seem to mind. She petted the fox with long, soothing strokes from the top of its head down its back, murmuring under her breath. 

“What a strange creature,” Rangi said quietly when the fox closed its eyes. “I’ve never seen anything like this in all my time living in Yokoya.” 

“It looks like a falconfox but not at the same time,” Kyoshi mused. “It seems intelligent. Maybe it’s a spirit?”

“Perhaps. But”—Rangi tilted her head up to meet Kyoshi’s gaze where she stood over her, dark bronze eyes flashing with uncharacteristic impishness—“it also seems domesticated. Think we can keep it?”

“We?” Kyoshi repeated. She couldn’t help but scoff. “It likes you way more than it likes me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that it has something out for me. You can keep it if you want.”

Rangi kept quiet for a moment as she continued to rub the fox’s head. One of its ears flicked as her hand grazed the fur, but it kept its eyes closed. “I’ve always wanted a pet,” she said, “like a cat or something. But we weren’t allowed animals at the academy, and Hei-Ran wasn’t keen on having one in the house.” 

Kyoshi bit back a smile. Rangi seemed far too catlike herself to get along with one: cold, fiercely independent, and superiority complex to the extreme. 

“So let’s keep it.” Kyoshi tentatively reached a hand out to brush the fox’s head in the same manner that Rangi had been doing, but one of its green eyes blinked open to focus on her. Kyoshi froze. 

The fox hadn’t bared its teeth or anything to show aggression, but the wariness in its single open eye caused Kyoshi to draw back. “I’ll just leave it to you,” she said with a nervous laugh.

Rangi simply shrugged, followed by a grimace at the pain the movement caused her. “Maybe Kyoshi Junior also has a thing for Firebenders.” 

_But I’m the Avatar!_ Kyoshi wanted to say, but the word “also” caused her words to stick in her throat. Rangi’s eyes narrowed with mirth in time with the growing blush on Kyoshi’s cheeks.

“I-I’m going to get back to work.” Flustered, Kyoshi turned tail and walked away until she could no longer feel Rangi’s gaze on her back.

* * *

The reconstruction of the Avatar estate was well underway. Kyoshi and Rangi had decided against moving back into the mansion, instead favoring a smaller, simpler home elsewhere on Yokoya or even back in the Fire Nation. But the space felt too large to be wasted on bittersweet memories and ravaged earth, so Kyoshi had decided to renovate as best she could with the resources available in the village.

In this, Kyoshi could give back to the community that never cared for her in a way Kelsang would be proud of: Kyoshi’s intention was to turn the place into an orphanage, but the specifics didn’t matter so long as the building was being used by someone who needed it. 

Kyoshi had crossed the courtyard in front of the main residence enough times to lose track of them. She was working on bringing new planks of wood to the dining hall that had been split in half during her battle with Yun.

Kyoshi tried not to linger in the rooms where unwelcome memories would flash through her mind as sudden and violent as the lightning from Xu Ping An’s hands. Blazing white would overtake her vision, leaving her trembling and covered in sweat as she stumbled away. 

When that happened, Kyoshi took the long way around and passed through the servant’s entrance to avoid Rangi’s perceptive gaze. Rangi was still seated on the stairs in front of the main residence as she played with the fox. 

To Rangi’s credit, she was a brilliant Firebending instructor and, apparently, animal trainer, but the fox was smarter than Kyoshi had given it credit for. It seemed to catch onto the intent behind Rangi’s words within a handful of iterations, and the two were now playing a version of fetch with a pile of egg-sized rocks.

Kyoshi watched with an amused smile as Rangi lobbed a stone across the courtyard for the fox to scurry after it. Kyoshi was about to reveal herself from where she stood in the shadows of the walls when the fox bounded back to drop its bounty at Rangi’s feet, then it sat with its head cocked expectantly.

Rangi reached forward, cupped its face in both hands, and planted a firm kiss on top of its head. That didn’t surprise Kyoshi as much as the fox’s reaction—it leaned in and curled its tail around Rangi’s legs like the kiss was a prize it’d been looking forward to.

Kyoshi had to physically shake herself out of her stupor with a stern reminder that she had work to do. Rangi looked languid and relaxed, and that was a huge improvement from all the tension she’d been carrying around since getting her injury. 

For the next number of trips, Kyoshi managed to pass back and forth without glancing over at Rangi and the fox. They were too distracting, Kyoshi convinced herself. It had nothing to do with the pleased smile Rangi directed at the fox nor the number of kisses she planted on its head.

Kyoshi had just completed her last trip, having dropped off the final set of supplies, and headed out to the courtyard with a happy sigh. She rolled her shoulders and tried to crack her neck as she instinctively glanced over at Rangi. 

Her eyes had always been drawn to Rangi; Kyoshi knew that even before she knew her feelings for the girl, but this time, it was a mistake. 

Objectively, it was a cute scene. The fox was lying on its stomach with its front legs sprawled over Rangi’s. She was rubbing its ears as she fed it berries, and she was saying something to it that Kyoshi couldn’t hear.

The fox stretched up to gently pluck a berry from Rangi’s slender fingers and pointedly made eye contact with Kyoshi across the distance before lowering its head into Rangi’s lap. Rangi exclaimed and grabbed the fox around its torso to bring it up and kiss the top of its head, followed quickly by a peck on both cheeks, then finally, one last kiss on the nose. 

Kyoshi pursed her lips and stepped back to where they were out of her line of sight. She’d felt like this once before when Lek had asked if he could have a chance with Rangi. He was joking, but it caught Kyoshi completely off guard. Her heart ached at the memory of the boy. 

A derisive bark of laughter slipped from Kyoshi’s lips before she could stop it. _So I’m jealous of a fox._

* * *

Kyoshi denied it as best she could. Even when she was having dinner with Rangi and the fox sat obediently at Rangi’s heels, she ignored it. 

Rangi wore a smug, satisfied grin like she was proud of herself for training the fox within the day, and Kyoshi was genuinely happy for her. Her eyes had brightened considerably, the dark bronze regaining its former brilliant shine as Rangi followed the fox where it walked circles around her feet. 

She tossed it a piece of her fish and the fox leaped up to snatch it mid-air. 

“I didn’t know you were so good with animals,” Kyoshi said, watching Rangi command the fox to lie down. Rangi offered her hand and the animal lurched forward, black-tipped ears flopping in its haste to press against her. 

“I did well with handling Pengpeng.” Both Kyoshi and Rangi’s expression darkened in sync at the reminder of Kelsang. 

The fox chirped softly, breaking the heavy silence of the room, and Rangi glanced down with a soft smile. Kyoshi tore her eyes away from Rangi to look at her food. Her heart beat uncomfortably fast. 

_This is fine_ , Kyoshi thought as she picked at her meal. And it was—it had to be—because the fox was keeping Rangi while she recuperated, which Kyoshi couldn’t do. She had to appreciate having something to look after Rangi when she couldn’t keep her eye on the girl herself.

Not that Rangi needed looking after, but Kyoshi got nervous leaving her alone for too long. Kyoshi wasn’t jealous that Rangi’s affections were being placed elsewhere; she just wanted to be the one with her head in Rangi’s lap. 

After dinner, Kyoshi spotted Rangi and the fox seated in the grass outside. Rangi had her crutch by her side and the fox on the other as they watched the sunset. Kyoshi moved to join them, but the fox turned its head in her direction and pinned her with its intense green eyes.

Was that a possessive look? Kyoshi couldn’t tell, but she decided to avoid any confrontation while Rangi seemed to be in a good mood.

It lasted until bedtime, and the illusion of peace was shattered by Kyoshi entering the bedroom to see the fox curled up in her spot. Rangi blinked up innocently from where she sat on her side, already tucked in and comfortable.

“So should I . . . take the couch?” Kyoshi asked, trying for a joking tone of voice but her words came out flat. 

A slow smile crept across Rangi’s face, and dismay pooled in Kyoshi’s belly. Of course. Rangi was the one person who might know Kyoshi better than she knew herself. If Kyoshi was aware that she was jealous, she did not doubt that Rangi could tell. 

Rangi grinned devilishly. “You won’t be joining me?” She snapped her fingers, and the fox moved to lie at the foot of the bed. 

Reluctantly, Kyoshi slid in under the blanket, eyeing the fox. “I’m just worried about you recovering properly,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m encroaching on your space.”

“There’s plenty of space, but if you’re worried-” Rangi whistled. “Off.” The fox rose immediately and jumped to the floor, landing with a barely audible thump before pressing its snout into the crack of the door to widen the gap and scampering out of the room. 

“That’s very impressive,” Kyoshi said faintly. 

“Mm,” Rangi hummed as she leaned sideways to place her head on Kyoshi’s shoulder. 

The warmth was comforting and reassuring. Kyoshi took a deep breath of Rangi’s flowery scent as inconspicuously as she could and asked, “Are you doing okay?”

The question contained magnitudes. _Is your wound healing well, is your heart healing well, does the memory of what happened still hurt you like it hurts me, are we okay, do you dislike that I’ve left you to play with an animal while I clean up the mess I made?_

Rangi either didn’t pick up on the tone of the question or was still in her playful mood because she said, “I’m doing well, and little Kyoshi Junior is doing a great job of keeping me company.” 

“Oh,” Kyoshi said, unintentionally tensing up beside Rangi. “I-is that really the name you’re going to keep?” She laughed but it came out stilted, and she’d faltered because of the guilt that rushed up to place a lump in her throat. It felt like Rangi was subtly criticizing Kyoshi for neglecting her after endangering her life and almost letting her die. 

Rangi didn’t do subtleties. If she was upset, she made sure everyone within a fifty-meter radius knew it. Kyoshi was well aware that she was being irrational, but knowing that didn’t stop the slow welling of panic inside her. 

But, ever perceptive to the minutiae of Kyoshi's mood shifts, Rangi slipped her hand into Kyoshi’s and tugged on it gently, drawing her in to place her chin on Kyoshi’s head. No words needed to pass between them. 

Kyoshi breathed in the familiar smell of Rangi’s skin where her face was nuzzled into the Firebender’s throat and tried to forget her panic. Rangi radiated with warmth, and it was pure evidence that she was alive and next to her. 

Kyoshi was so focused on concentrating on Rangi’s body heat that she didn’t feel the initial light pressure on her head. Rangi was pressing kisses into her hair and murmuring quiet words that Kyoshi had to strain to hear. 

Gentle but firm hands cupped Kyoshi’s cheeks to tilt her head up, and Rangi kissed Kyoshi on the forehead then on both sides of her temple. She turned Kyoshi to quickly press her lips against her cheeks and on the tip of her nose, light and fast like a hovering dragonfly hummingbird. 

“That tickles!” Kyoshi said with a giggle as she pulled away, but Rangi’s grip only tightened. One of her hands slipped around behind Kyoshi’s neck to pull her in, and Kyoshi stopped resisting when Rangi kissed her on the lips. 

She was so unbelievably warm that Kyoshi’s first instinct was to lean into it, but she remembered at the last dazed second that Rangi was still injured and forced herself to stop. Rangi’s lips were soft and distracting and Kyoshi would’ve gladly given up on breathing if Rangi didn’t draw back to catch her breath. 

“What-” Kyoshi started to speak, but Rangi pushed a finger against Kyoshi’s lips to silence her.

“Kyoshi,” Rangi began, her tone already chastising, “you don’t ever need to doubt your place beside me. I’ll be with you. I’ll be here.” 

The confidence in Rangi’s words calmed the remaining turmoil within her, but Kyoshi couldn’t help but ask, “And what about the fox?”

A smug smile split across Rangi’s face. “I knew you were jealous.”

“I’m not!” Kyoshi protested hotly, and whatever ready excuse she was going to make disappeared from her mind as Rangi pulled her in again for another kiss, bright-eyed and laughing. 

**Author's Note:**

> rangshi kisses 🥺 👉👈 idk what to name the fox so i just left it hahaha also, fun fact about the title of this one-shot: envy isn't the name of the fox—instead of being a proper noun in this context, it's a verb! i'm so excited for all the rangshi content this week 💕 💖 hope to see you in the next one!!
> 
> tumblr user airius120 made art of this one-shot ;_; check it out here: https://airius120.tumblr.com/post/629676390504120320/this-is-based-off-of-rivensils-recent-story
> 
> \---
> 
> i am open to feedback, and thank you for reading! if you catch a typo or something, let me know and i'll give you an internet cookie. i'm @rivensilk on twitter and @rivensil (no k) on tumblr


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